Free
by Heather the Writer
Summary: All they ever wanted was to be together...


**Disclaimer! I am not Tamora Pierce, nor will I ever be, nor do I claim to be… capiche? **

**Note: I'm going to put this beforehand, because I don't want to ruin the mood of the piece. This is just a little thing that I've been contemplating writing for a week, and I finally got down to it (plus I needed a break from Shinko's diary and Protector Protected). I'm actually semi-pleased with it, but I'll probably edit it a bit. Also, my Beta is on vacation, so please excuse and inform me of any mistakes. Let me know what you think!**

They were quiet as they walked slowly together, his arm linked through hers. There was an exotic beauty to the evening; the moon hung low among the clouds, and the haze gave the air a luminescent quality. They strolled down the empty beach, listening to nothing but the rhythmic sound of the waves breaking. On one side of them the trees waved in greeting, and the sand formed curving dunes that changed with each passing day as the grains shifted in the wind.

A light breeze swished by, causing the trees to shake and moan. It carried with it the beginnings of winter, freezing them both and causing their nostrils to flare at the sudden crispness of the air. The woman closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, preparing herself for what was to come. She breathed slowly, keeping in tempo with the ocean. In out, in out.

The lukewarm water swirled around their ankles, causing their feet to sink into the wet sand. As the water retreated it left behind debris; pieces of seaweed, rotten logs, and broken shells. They sat together, uncaring of the sand that clung to their clothes.

The young woman –much younger than her partner- smiled bitterly and he turned to her, pushing his long hair out of his face. They stared at each other, the same terrible emotion reflecting in their eyes. She pressed her hand firmly against his cheek, stroking it.

"I'm sorry," the tall man croaked, staring deep into her eyes.

"Not as sorry as I am," she replied sadly, hugging him tightly.

They turned to face each other, forehead pressed against forehead. "It's only for a year; it will pass in no time. Even if you are forbidden from entering Carthak, I will still be able to write to you and the children." He whispered, bringing her hand up to kiss.

The woman sighed, turning her head away from him and looking out to the sliver of moon, magnified by the ocean. "Promise me you'll come back," she demanded, voice cracking.

He kissed her deeply. "I promise," he replied simply, wiping away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

The wind pushed them together, hugging them close as they whispered words of comfort. The violence of the waves caused foam to form and bubble sluggishly over the ground. The ocean continued its steady pulse, waves almost pushing them over the edge as they stood up again.

They stood in a companionable silence, certain with each passing second that they want to spend more time with each other. Under the silvery light, the scene is so achingly beautiful he wondered how he could ever leave her.

It was years before she dared to come back.

Listening to the rhythmic beat of the ocean, she was thankful for its steady sense of familiarity. Remembering those days always aroused a mixture of emotions in her, ones that she could not quite name. But she would never be able to name it, because she would never share those memories with others. They were hers to live in, since her life was a mere reflection of its past. But life was so romanticized these days. She had their children to look after, and that's what kept her going.

The waves continued beating, and she picked up a broken seashell, passing it between her hands. She collapsed on the wet sand, clenching the seashell and stifling her sobs. The seashell bit deeply into her skin, causing blood to well out as she stared at her hands in surprise. In all these years, she only ever cried for him when she was alone.

The wind swirled around her, taunting and touching her. It teased her, placing phantom kisses on her cheek. Whispering words that she ached to hear with every tiny fiber of her body, making silent tears run down her face. She could almost _feel _him, could hear his voice speaking to her. She turned around. But there was no one; it was just the wind, lamenting in her ears.

_Stay safe, magelet._

"No," she whispered. "You promised you would come back."

Here, on the beach, her feelings of that day returned. Shadows spread out before her on the sand, moving and shifting, forming into small figures, then vanishing from sight. She lifted her arm to them, and they beckon. Come, come to us.

"I'm coming," she told them. And it seems as if they ease off a bit.

She laughed as the wind rose again, spreading her arms in the air. She felt free. And then she was; her life fleeing, heading towards the elusive shadows.

All they ever wanted was to be together.


End file.
